EDITOR'S NOTE - Mills County released the following announcement Wednesday: A Mandatory Evacuation Order was issued Wednesday by the Mills County Board of Supervisors and Mills County Emergency Management, affecting four residences in northwest Mills County.

Joe Foreman

Rising surface water on Alcorn Road in northwest Mills County.

The evacuation area includes the following: Alcorn Avenue west of the road closure located approximately ¼ mi. west of the Alcorn Avenue and Allis Road intersection. The evacuation area includes the following 911 Addresses: 16544, 16546, 16573 and 16683 Alcorn Ave. A copy of the Mandatory Evacuation Order and evacuation routes is being hand delivered to each residence in the affected area.
Due to the rise of interior ground water east of the Mills County Levee system, various roads in this area are becoming impassable. The Levee System in Mills County is currently patrolled by the Iowa Army National Guard, the Levee and Drainage District Staff and Emergency Management. There are no immediate threats from the Levee system at this time.
Residents in the evacuation area are required to evacuate as soon as possible, but no later than 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 15, 2011. If residents in this area need assistance with the evacuation process or a shelter site, please contact the following agencies: Mills County Communication Center – 527-4871 or Mills County Public Health at 527-4231.
Every effort will be made to leave utilities on in the affected area as long as possible. Those residences deemed unsafe due to water accumulation or impassable road conditions will be disconnected. Decisions to disconnect additional customers in the affected area will be made based upon changing safety conditions. MidAmerican Energy will make every effort to notify customers prior to disconnections.
Flood damage to area homes should be reported to Mills County at 527-4231. Residents are encouraged to call the Mills County Flood Center Hotline at 211 or access the website at www.millscountyflood.org for ongoing updates.
Both options will provide additional information, help for those in need, opportunities for volunteer sign up and a place to list available resources. Code Red is an additional emergency notification system that will be important during this time and residents are encouraged to sign up on the website.